The present invention relates to a beam configuration for use in a frame of a screened enclosure, such as a patio or pool screen enclosure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basic screened enclosure 11 attached to another structure such as a house 12.
Most pool screen and screened enclosure applications use individual metal beams that must be assembled together. Each beam is comprised of half sections that are fitted to one another and then screwed or riveted.
FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of two beam half sections 14,16 of a first prior art beam assembly. A common problem with the illustrated structure is keeping and supporting the beam half sections in the configuration shown in FIG. 2. For example, if beam half section 14 is positioned on top of beam half section 16, the legs or flanges 18,20 of upper beam half section 14 can fall in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 3) and no longer be adjacent the legs or flanges 22,24 of half beam section 16, as shown in FIG. 3.
A second example prior art beam assembly is illustrated in FIG. 4 and disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,941, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. The assembly illustrated in FIG. 4 addresses the slippage problems note above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In the FIG. 4 structure, flange 36 of beam half section 28 abuts and is seated against angled lip 40 of beam half section 26 while flange 30 of beam half section 26 abuts and is seated against angled lip 38 of beam half section 28. On the other hand, flange 34 of beam half section 28 abuts to an exterior facing rib 42 of flange 30 of half beam section 26 and flange 32 of half beam section 26 abuts to exterior facing rib 44 of flange 36 of beam half section 28.
While the abutment end seating of flanges 30 and 36 respectively against inwardly angled lips 38,40, respectively, addresses the slippage in direction A mentioned with reference to FIG. 3, that is not to say that further improvement of the beam structure cannot be realized.